Bradlee Tyack – In remission
Bradlee Tyack shares why he insisted on having Lifegain® Advanced Nutritional Supplement with him while in isolation after a stem cell transplant.
Bradlee Tyack (36) lives in Cape Town with his dog.
Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis
In February 2023, Bradlee was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. The first symptom was a lump in his groin, then more lumps under his arms and neck. “I then started losing control of my body. I couldn’t concentrate at work, sweated a lot while sleeping, and I just knew something was up,” Bradlee explains.
When Bradlee went to a GP, blood tests were done, and he was treated for glandular fever. However, treatment didn’t help, and he landed up in hospital where more tests were done.
“Before the doctor broke the news to me, I could see it in her eyes that the news wasn’t good,” Bradlee recalls.
Bradlee admits he was scared when he heard he had Hodgkin lymphoma as he grandmother passed away from lymphoma at the age of 54. However, he says he doesn’t believe it’s hereditary but more to do with food and day-to-day living.
Treatment
Since Bradlee didn’t have medical aid, he began treatment at a state hospital where he had chemotherapy and radiation. After seven months, he chose to stop treatment and looked for other treatment options.
He was informed about pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug. Since this was only offered in private healthcare, his parents paid around R82 000 per treatment for 11 months. “That was a lot of money,” he says.
Unfortunately, a PET scan, in February 2025, showed the immunotherapy wasn’t working. The only option was to do a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy then an autologous (own stem cells) stem cell transplant straight away.
Bradlee started with treatment and underwent a stem cell transplant in June this year. By this time, Bradlee had moved to Cape Town (December 2024) and had medical aid cover.
Lifegain® Advanced Nutritional Supplement
When Bradlee was first diagnosed in 2023, he met a sales representative at a chemist. “He was so helpful with researching products for me in relation to the cancer and treatment. He introduced me to Lifegain® Advanced Nutritional Supplement; it’s not a cheap product but out of all the competing brands, it’s the tastiest. All the other brands make me feel nauseas. The Strawberry flavour is my favourite and I wish the Cappuccino flavour came in bigger tins,” Bradlee says.
He started gaining weight from drinking two shakes a day. “When I started treatment, I weighed 68kg, I then dropped to 51kg. But after two weeks of using Lifegain®, I picked up 8kg. To maintain that weight, I drink one shake a day. Besides that, it gives me energy and gets me through my day.”
Lifegain® Advanced Nutritional Supplement has made such an impression on Bradlee that he took it with to hospital to have after the stem cell transplant while in isolation.
“The nurses weren’t too happy about me bringing an open product in with me, but I explained why I prefer this one, to the one they would offer me in hospital. Thankfully, they gave in and it was a big help during those days. My suggestion is to have ready-made drinks that are suitable for hospital use.”
In remission
Bradlee is happy to report that he was discharged quite soon after the transplant but is still recovering. “Apparently, I have the record (within the hospital) of being discharged the earliest after a stem cell transplant, meaning my recovery was really good. The best news is that I’m in remission and still gaining weight, thanks to Lifegain®. I’m looking forward to starting my life again.”
MEET OUR EDITOR – Laurelle Williams
Laurelle is the Editor at Word for Word Media and graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She have a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Write me: [email protected]
The quoted claims shared are based solely on individual consumer experiences and may vary from one individual to another. These statements have not been independently verified and are not subject to medical opinion or advise.
